


Polished Doubt and Fake Sentiment

by TumblingBackpacks



Series: Breaking Ties and Forging Families [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Gen, Mistaken/Assumed Character Death, not sif friendly, not warriors three friendly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:34:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23743141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TumblingBackpacks/pseuds/TumblingBackpacks
Summary: A prank on the second prince goes terribly wrong. Fearful of the consequences, Sif and the Warriors Three are quick to cover up this fact.
Relationships: Jane Foster & Thor, Loki & Thor (Marvel), Sif & Warriors Three (Marvel)
Series: Breaking Ties and Forging Families [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1710448
Comments: 29
Kudos: 89





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More notes at the end of the story because I don’t want to spoil. 
> 
> Relevant Info:  
> Beginning of the fic takes place ~100 years before Thor (2011)  
> Not Sif + W3 friendly

Sif stepped into the sparring circle as her eyes lit up, eager for the upcoming fight. She repositioned her stance as she waited for Thor to enter the circle, her sword strapped to her back. Thor sauntered into the sparring ring with a smirk, Mjolnir hanging at his side, the polished metal glinting in the sunlight. The Warriors Three spectated from the sidelines as Thor and Sif squared up against each other. Thor placed Mjolnir at the edge of the boundary line of the sparring circle as Volstagg stood to speak.

“Hand to hand combat,” Volstagg called out, “Standard sparring rules apply. The first one to yield loses. Weapons may be drawn after two minutes.”

Volstagg stepped back, “Start whenever you are ready.”

“Do you think you stand a chance against the Mighty Thor, Lady Sif?” Thor boasted, though his expression revealed he meant it in jest.

Sif let out a small huff of laughter, “This lady may surprise you.”

Without further conversation, Sif charged forward, quickly closing the distance between them. Thor hastily stepped back to dodge her blow, then shifted his stance to return a punch. Sif ducked his swing and drove her elbow into his nose. Thor reeled back, but caught her next blow and sent a knee into her stomach.

His blows were relentless and solid, but she was quick to move and able to avoid most of them. Her blows were scarce, but swifter, and more assured of their landing. It was nice to spar, feeling the adrenaline pump through her veins as she focused on the battle.

Sif vaguely registered Volstagg calling out the two minute mark. She stepped back, narrowly avoiding Thor’s latest hit, and drew her sword. At the same time, Thor raised his hand, Mjolnir smacking into his open palm. Thor landed a blow, and she stumbled backwards.

Sif spun as Thor aimed for another shot, then used her momentum to knock his legs out from under him with a swift kick, Mjolnir flying from his grip as he fell over. She rushed forward, as Thor rolled and scrambled to his feet, his fingers closing around Mjolnir as he did so. Their weapons met with a loud clang that echoed off the walls.

“Well,” Thor said, “You certainly have formidable ability as a warrior.”

Sif grinned, “You admit you underestimated me?”

Thor returned the smile, “The fight has not ended yet.”

They were both breathless from the fight, but she could tell Thor was still as excited from the battle as she was.

Their weapons met, again and again, crashing together in the still air. Where Thor stepped, she met him. Where Sif landed a blow, he hit back, both their wounds healing almost instantaneously. They were both skilled combatants, living, breathing and emboding battle.

Suddenly, a stern voice cut through the training arena, “Thor!”

Thor lowered his weapon and turned around. Sif paused her attacks, her face scrunching in annoyance as Loki stepped into view.

She glared at him. Why did he always have to interrupt when she was trying to spend time with Thor?

Thor redirected his attention to Loki, still breathing heavily from the spar, “Is something the matter, brother?”

Loki sighed, “You’re supposed to be in tutoring right now.”

Thor laughed brightly, “Always so focused on your studies, maybe you should join us for a spar, have some real fun.”

“I would rather not,” Loki responded bluntly. Sif silently seethed. It was well known that the second prince preferred magic to the art of a true warrior, and it annoyed her to no end that he had willingly given up the privilege to fight in battle to practice seidr. She had to work twice-- three times as hard to prove her worth as a female warrior. How could he just casually brush aside opportunities for battle?

Sif glanced at the Warriors Three, and they appeared to share the same sentiment for Loki as she had. She knew that Loki would not let up with his pestering to convince Thor to attend their tutoring, so she quickly decided to excuse herself from the training arena before she was unable to restrain her anger.

“The Warriors Three and I should be going as well. Our classes are going to begin soon, and we wouldn't want to be late,” she said, keeping her voice as neutral as possible, “right?”

Sif directed her last question at the Warriors Three, who picked up on her cue and nodded in agreement.

Loki seemed to grow impatient, “Come on, brother, we’re going to be more late if we don't leave now.”

Thor clapped Loki on the back, “No need to be so uptight, brother.”

Loki rolled his eyes and left the training arena. Thor followed him out after promising Sif they would continue this fight at a later time.

Sif’s mood brightened slightly at the prospect as they said their goodbyes and left for their respective classes.

* * *

Fandral, Sif, Volstagg, and Hogun exchanged banter as they headed to their class. Sif entered the teaching hall, taking a seat at one of the many desks, which were arranged in a semi circle around where the teacher would be lecturing. The Warriors Three take the seats adjacent to her as the teacher, Lady Ragna, enters the hall.

Lady Ragna clears her throat to get the class’s attention. There are only a few students currently enrolled, and a quick scan around the room shows only about a dozen are present.

Regardless, Lady Ragna begins her lecture, which is about the laws of Asgard regarding those from other realms. Sif starts to tune out her words. As a warrior she wouldn't have to concern herself with more obscure laws.

Sif tunes back in near the end of the class, as Lady Ragna is answering a question from another Asgardian.

“Actually,” Lady Ragna says, “criminals from other realms who have committed grave crimes, such as murder, are sentenced to The Pit. It is located in a cave near the outskirts of Asgard’s city proper, and warded to prevent any Aesir from accidentally falling in.”

Lady Ragna continues to explain other punishable crimes that would warrant being thrown into The Pit, as opposed to being sentenced to prison or execution.

The class ends shortly after and Sif and the Warriors Three begin to head back to the palace, when Sif stops them.

“Why did you stop?” Volstagg questioned, “I thought we were going to meet Thor at the palace after the class?”

“Their tutoring doesn't end for another 2 hours,” Sif responds.

“What can we do in the meantime, then?” Fandral asks.

“Perhaps we can go for a quick hunt in the woods?” Hogun offered.

Sif thought for a moment, “Maybe we can try to find The Pit that Lady Ragna mentioned. She said it was just outside the city proper, so we can easily find it and be back at the palace within 2 hours.”

The Warriors Three considered the idea.

“It could be a short adventure.” Volstagg said. “I'm in.”

“As am I.” Fandral added. Hogan nodded in agreement.

* * *

They approached the cave cautiously.

“Is this the correct place?” Fandral asked.

“It must be,” Volstagg responded. “There aren't any other caves around.”

Sif decided to just enter the cave. It wasn't well illuminated, but there was a soft glow that lit the path ahead of her. At the end of the cave, there was an inconspicuous hole. It wasn't overly grand, but an average sized horse would likely be able to fall through.

Sif stopped a few feet away from the hole. She heard the Warriors Three approach behind her.

“Scared to go closer, Sif?” Fandral teased.

“Are you?” Sif retorted.

Fandral laughed, “Is that a challenge?”

Sif stepped closer as Fandral matched the distance, stopping at the edge of the hole. Volstagg and Hogun paced around the circumference of The Pit to the opposite side.

Volstagg gazed down into the hole, “It looks like it goes directly into the void.”

“Not directly,” Sif corrected, pointing to a dull yellow sheen covering the hole, “Lady Ragna mentioned it’s warded to prevent Aesir from accidentally falling in.”

“Care to test that?” Fandral challenged, “I dare you to prove it.”

“Bold words,” Sif said. “Perhaps you should be the one to check instead.”

With that, Sif pushed Fandral into The Pit. Volstagg’s eyes widened for a moment before Fandral bounced off the magical shield. The shield glowed a brighter yellow as Fandral made contact, rebounding back onto the dirt beside Sif. Fandral stood up, grumbling as he dusted himself off.

“Perhaps you would like to take the next turn?” Fandral said, feigning annoyance.

Sif poorly suppressed a smile, “I think I'd just prefer to watch.”

Hogun spoke up, “It has almost been 2 hours.”

“Aye, we should head back to the palace.” Volstagg agreed.

* * *

As they made their way back to the palace, Sif could not help venting her dislike of Loki. Sif knew that Thor wanted to help his brother be more involved in fighting proper battles, but he could not force her to enjoy being in his presence.

“I hope Thor doesn't force us to include Loki into our sparring.” Sif said. “He always uses underhanded tricks to cheat his way into winning.”

“His methods are without honor,” Volstagg agrees.

“And he pesters everyone with his pranks,” Fandral added.

“Maybe we can prank him back,” Hogun suggests. “I doubt he would ever expect someone to be able to trick him.”

“Perhaps we can give him a simple scare,” Volstagg starts. “We did just discover a perfect cave to prank him.”

Sif smiles, following the thought, “It would serve him right. Though it would not nearly make up all the wrongs he has done.”

Hogun tips his head in agreement, “But how would we convince him to follow us there?”

“It should not be too difficult,” Sif responds. “We should find Thor and include him in our plan. Surely he would want to be involved, and he could convince Loki to follow us to the cave.”

* * *

They reach the palace and run into Loki as they are wandering the halls. Loki shifts to side step around them, but Sif steps in front of him.

“Where's Thor?” Sif questions, still blocking his path.

“He has other duties to attend to.” Loki said, moving to go around Sif, “Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go to the library.”

Sif narrowed her eyes, “Just tell us where Thor is.”

Loki made eye contact with her, “The All-Father called him to attend a diplomatic meeting. He will not be available for a few hours.”

With that, he maneuvered around her and started to walk away.

Without thinking, Sif calls out after him, “Wait!”

Loki stopped and turned around to face her, raising an eyebrow.

“Would you like to join us to explore a portal?” Sif says. The Warriors Three share a quizzical look, likely confused as to why she is inviting Loki before they had the chance to inform Thor.

Loki throws a suspicious look, “Why are you offering?”

Sif opens her mouth to make up an excuse, but Volstagg appears to catch on, and responds for her.

“We recently discovered a portal with rare magic,” Volstagg explains, “and we thought you might be interested in studying it.”

Loki still appears like he is trying to decipher their motives, but after a few moments of consideration, his curiosity seems to overtake his suspicion.

“I suppose I spare a few hours to examine the portal you found,” Loki says.

* * *

The Warriors Three begin their usual banter, but Loki stays silent as he trails behind them.

Volstagg smiles as Fandral recalls a past adventure where they had broken out of a castle of beasts that had dared to hold them prisoner. Thor had single-handedly felled a horde of the beasts once they had breached the castle boundaries, and they made a heroic escape with one less threat, and a new tale of another successful exploit.

“It was quite the fight,” Fandral reminisced. “Those foul creatures could not have been defeated if not for the skill of Thor and the Warriors Three!”

Sif raised an eyebrow at him.

“And you as well, Sif,” Fandral added quickly.

Fandral continued elaborating on the adventure, detailing the thrill of the fight. Sif smiles at her own recollection of the rush of the battle, skillfully taking out each beast knowing that Thor and the Warriors Three were watching back.

“If I recall correctly,” Loki interjects, “We would not have been able to defeat the creatures if I had not created illusions to distract them and gained us entry to the palace.”

Sif can feel her ire rising. Is he trying to be purposely hostile? She wants to tell him exactly what she thinks of him, how his ergi tactics don't count as Thor had been the one to deliver the blows, they were the ones who did the real fighting. Instead, she forces herself to stay silent, not wanting to jeopardize their rare opportunity to prank him.

She looks over at the Warriors Three, who appear to be holding back on their own scorn. None of them deign Loki’s interruption with a response.

Finally, Fandral breaks the silence, “Some do battle, others do tricks.”

Sif sees Loki’s eyes twitch as she mentally cheers from his reaction of being faced with the truth of his cowardly tactics.

The Warriors Three pick up their conversation once again, and continue with their jesting among each other until they reach the cave they had found earlier that day. Loki doesn’t interrupt a second time.

Good, Sif thinks, Better that the snake stay silent than try to take credit for their victories in battle.

As they reach the entrance of the cave, Loki slows his pace, allowing the Warriors Three to enter ahead of him. Sif paused beside him and stared at him expectantly.

“Ladies first,” Loki says, gesturing to her to go in.

“Don't have the courage to enter without us to check first?” Sif remarks.

Loki’s expression falls flat as he steps into the cave wordlessly. Sif slips in behind him, matching his pace as they walk to the end of the cave. The Warriors Three have already reached The Pit, and are standing at the opposite end of the hole as Loki approaches the edge of the opening to the abyss.

“Is this the portal?” Loki asks, “I think it’s just a direct gateway into the void.”

“Did you not notice the warding covering the hole?” Fandral says, “Maybe your magics aren’t as good as you claim if you are not able to notice what even we can see.”

Loki doesn’t answer Fandral, instead, he tips his head in confusion as he extends an arm over the wards, “The protective spell feels... different.”

“What about it is different?” Volstagg stalls.

Loki crouches at the edge of the hole, murmuring something about the aura of The Pit that Sif can’t quite make out. Loki looks back up at Volstagg to answer.

The words have hardly left his mouth before Sif silently creeps behind him and gives him a solid shove from behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I’ve been reading fics like [Ignorance’s Sin](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12729720) by MysticMedusa and [The Sixth Guardian](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9414323/chapters/21311234) by Civilized_muppets, and was inspired to write something that had some sort of Gamora-Nebula-Loki sibling relationship, but first, some exposition for how that happens. 
> 
> To calculate relative ages, I’m using ([age]/5000)*79 (79 is the rounded age of human life expectancy in the US 2019). 
> 
> ( At the time of Thor (2011), Thor would be ~1500 (24) and Loki would be about ~1070 (17) ). 
> 
> So at the beginning of this fic, Thor + W4 are ~1400 (22) and Loki is ~970 (15). 
> 
> Tl;Dr: I’m gratuitously messing with the timeline. Sif + W3 are going to be villain-ized in this fic. 
> 
> Extra Note: A few minor OCs will be used throughout the fic, but won't hold enough plot significance to warrant being tagged
> 
> I apologize for any spelling/grammatical errors. Any feedback or constructive criticism welcome! :)


	2. Chapter 2

The lower levels of the palace library were restricted from access unless given express permission by the All-Father. Of course, the allure of a challenge had captured Loki’s attention, and he was determined to find a way in on his own.

Loki frequented the library often, so his subtle prodding at the wards had gone unnoticed as he had assessed the types of security spells and worked out the best way to breach them. Despite this, it had taken weeks of preparation to execute his plan of sneaking his way into the lower levels, and his plan had nearly been ruined by a perimeter spell he had missed. 

Loki chided himself on his carelessness, and hastily scurried behind a shelf, barely having enough the time to cloak himself before the head librarian had been summoned to his location. Granted, given his status as prince, the head librarian would likely just have given him a mild reprimand, but the man also would have likely informed his mother of his exploits.

From there, the information would reach his father, leading to extra security placed on the section of forbidden books. Not to mention his father’s judgmental gazes, expressing disappointment for his interest in magic, that he chose to practice seidr over sword-fighting, that didn't pursue the path of a _true_ warrior. 

_Like Thor_ , Loki thought distantly, before redirecting his focus back onto the task at hand. 

From his hiding spot tucked behind a shelf, Loki could see the librarian frowning as they were unable to find the cause of the perimeter spell being triggered. Loki held his breath as the librarian approached his location, staying as still as possible to minimize any sounds that would draw attention to himself. Although his invisibility spell would cover him from sight and sound, he was susceptible to discovery from touch.

Two shelves over, Loki could see the gleam of golden runes etched into the spine of four of the novels. Though they were not numbered as such, they appeared to be of the same series, with each title translating to a variation of “The Ways”. 

Loki’s mind jumped at the possibilities of what information was held within the titles. If his prediction was correct, they might be holding the final piece to solve the ancient spell he had spent the past few months trying to decrypt. A wave of excitement washed over him as he anxiously waited for the librarian to pass. 

Once the librarian had ambled off, Loki silently slipped the four books into his pocket dimension, slightly shuffling the volumes left on the shelf to create the illusion of a still-full shelf when doing a glance over. 

Loki snuck back to the main levels, being sure to maintain his invisibility spell as he exited the library. He navigated the halls, taking a roundabout route to minimize the chance of running into anyone else. He went unnoticed as he passed by a few servants, successfully reaching his room without any altercations.

Loki dropped his cloak of invisibility as he entered his room, adding his successful heist to his mental list of triumphs for that morning. He sat cross-legged on the floor in front of his bed, pulling out the four forbidden books from his pocket dimension and spreading them out in front of him. The leather bound novels appeared unimpressive compared to the amount of security he had to bypass to circumvent to retrieve them.

Loki picked one up and studied the cover for a moment. The book was clearly aged from the faded coloration, yet it evidently had not been handled by many others as it was not worn down. 

Leaning back on his bed frame from his spot on the floor, Loki began to read. The words were more flowery commentary than explanations of spell-work, however, beneath the poetic descriptions were odes detailing how energy weaved together to form reality. How the strands curled together and how to peel back the energy and reach into the nothingness beyond, breaching Yggdrasil’s branches.

Loki placed the book on his lap as he mulled over the information. World walking was an advanced, ancient magic that had been lost to time other than the legends of beings that had traversed light years in mere seconds by walking the limbs of Yggdrasil. 

He had been exploring the few theories that were available on world walking, but the research had come up with insufficient information, most of which was woefully outdated. The Bifrost was the quickest option for inter-realm travel, and the few who had endeavored to find the hidden paths between worlds were unsuccessful in accessing said paths, even if they had discovered a few (though Loki was sure the All-Father was aware and could access any that compromised Asgard’s security).

The books he had just retrieved held revolutionary information that were near begging to be deciphered. He pulled the notes he had collected from his pocket dimension and spread them around himself. They were mostly just a jumble of pieces to a puzzle he didn’t know how to connect; at least, that was what the notes were at the moment.

Grabbing a journal and a quill from his desk, he began to scribble a mass of notes, forming connections with his previous research. He delved into the other three books, the additional knowledge weaving together to form the final spell. 

Loki let out a small laugh of disbelief. If he had truly gotten the spell right, he could be glorious, the first mage in the Nine Realms to world walk in centuries. However, he was under no delusion that he may be overstepping the limits of his seidr. If he had gotten it wrong, he could end up lost in space for all eternity. There weren’t many mages on Asgard and even fewer that would bother mounting an effort to find him if he found him stuck on one of Yggdrasil’s dead branches, far away from Heimdall’s gaze.

Loki collected his notes into a neat pile before dropping them into his pocket dimension. He had an urge to test the spell, perhaps experimentally prod at the energies, but he had a class in less than an hour and did not want to risk a missing attendance. 

He sighed, curling into the nearest armchair. The average day was filled with his studies or shadowing council meetings to integrate into Asgard’s political scene. His next free time to himself would not be for a few days, and even then, he was likely to be dragged into another adventure chasing the newest opportunity for glory that had caught Thor’s attention. 

At times, he was envious of his brother’s glory, of his strength in battle. However, it had also been reassuring, in a way. He knew who would be the one to save him in his time of need, just as Loki had his brother’s back in a fight, despite his lack of interest in questing. 

He had long ago resigned himself to the knowledge that Thor would be the hero of every song, and despite the scorn he had received for choosing to study seidr, he had continued to practice his ability as much as he could. He did have ample skill with knives and spears, as being a prince required he had the ability to defend himself. 

Though he was an able fighter, as a sorcerer, Loki did not have the inherent near-invincibility many of the warriors did, and could go down fairly quickly if he was not fast enough to incapacitate the enemy. To compensate, he had woven a multitude of energies and barriers into his very being. 

Loki is fairly sure that the magic he had implemented into himself, that enabled stability and healing and strength to ensure his own survival, have given himself the ability to have a limb chopped off, and have it grow back a few hours after. It isn't _tested_ , of course, why would he risk mutilation just to be sure his magic worked? It would be foolish, because what if they _don't_? Then he would lack a limb with no valid explanations as to why it was missing, which would likely garner more disdain toward himself from the other Aesir, not to mention Odin.

Doing a quick check for the time, he saw that the tutoring would start in several minutes and quickly gathered his relevant notes before heading to the study hall. He reached the classroom a few paces after the tutor had walked in. Unsurprisingly, Thor was nowhere to be seen. Loki sat down and patiently waited for Thor to arrive so the tutor could begin the lecture.

They did not have many joint classes, as Thor was enrolled in more battle-oriented classes, such Military Tactics 101, while Loki was involved with more academic-based classes that explored magical theory and how he could improve his spell-casting. Of course, when they were younger, they shared many of the general classes such as history and literature, but their princely duties and separate interests eventually led to them branching off into different courses. 

The current lecture was supposedly meant to inform them of the prominent laws of other realms as to not accidentally insult any foreign dignitaries in the case of a diplomatic meeting. Loki wasn't particularly interested in the subject as he was only shadowing council meetings, and he wouldn't be able to actively participate in negotiations for another few decades. 

Loki drummed his fingers on the table. Once Thor arrived the lecture could start. Loki knew Thor had less of an interest in negotiations than he did, but they both were required to attend the lessons as preparation for Thor’s future ascension to king and Loki’s role as his advisor. 

After a couple of minutes, Loki began to get irritated at Thor’s truancy. The tutor had been idling at the front of the room, seemingly unbothered by Thor’s lack of attendance. 

“Oh for Bor’s sake,” Loki muttered to himself. 

Unwilling to allow the lecture to be postponed further, Loki cleared his throat to get the tutor’s attention. The tutor looked up from his papers and Loki gave a polite smile, “Excuse me for a moment, I have to go retrieve my brother.” 

The tutor gave a nod to dismiss him and Loki promptly left, making a beeline for Thor’s bedroom. After giving the door a few short knocks, he decided to just enter, but found the room empty. Loki sighed, there was only one other place Thor was likely to be. 

* * *

Loki could hear the loud scuffle weapons clashing before he even entered the training arena. Upon walking inside, he saw Thor engaged in a spar with Sif, both breathing heavily as they delivered their respective attacks. Neither of them noticed him walk in.

Loki stepped closer to the sparring circle, “Thor!”

Sif ceased her attacks as Thor lowered his weapons while turning to face him. If looks could kill, Sif would have murdered him with her gaze. 

“Is something the matter, brother?” Thor asked, still breathing hard from the spar he had been participating in moments before.

Loki’s irritation melted away, replaced with an air of resignation.

“You’re supposed to be in tutoring right now.”

Thor brushed his comment off with a laugh, “Always so focused on your studies, maybe you should join us for a spar, have some real fun.”

Loki noted the Warriors Three on the sidelines, and saw Fandral give a smug smirk at the casual jab to his disinterest in battle. He could feel his irritation rising once more. 

“I would rather not,” Loki replied firmly, carefully avoiding making eye contact with Sif as he directed his gaze back to Thor. 

Thor maintained his carefree expression. Loki knew that Thor had a lack of interest in the tutoring, but _honestly_. Wouldn't it be easier to just get it over with so they could both move on?

“Come _on_ , brother, we’re going to be more late if we don't leave now.” Loki said, his tone snappier than he had intended. 

Thor, unbothered by Loki’s annoyance, clapped him on the back in a friendly manner, “No need to be so uptight, brother.”

Loki decided not to respond, turning to exit the training area with a fond roll of his eyes. Thor followed him out, calling out to Sif as he did so, “I assure you Lady Sif, we shall continue this spar another day.”

Loki pursed his lips at the phrasing. Was Thor aware that Sif had somewhat of an infatuation with him? Loki couldn't tell if Thor was oblivious to Sif’s feelings or if he was trying to lead her on. Knowing Thor, it was likely the former, but despite Loki’s own disagreements with Sif, she and Thor would likely be arranged for marriage when Thor was to be crowned. Loki decided to shelve the thought for the time being as they entered the tutoring hall. 

* * *

The tutoring class turned out to be less about reiterating important laws and more about being caught up with the current news from each relevant realm that Asgard had relation to. Loki shared a look with Thor as the tutor went on about how a fairly high standing noble from Vanaheim was recently wed to another Vanir from a wealthy family, and how this meant the would be newer faces interlaced in the meeting with the realm. 

The tutor continued their lecture for the next few hours, discussing the changes in the shipments of produce from Alfheim, the renewal of contracts with Niflheim, and so on. Honestly, was all this truly pertinent information?

At the end of the class, Thor and Loki gave their respectful thanks to the tutor before taking their leave. 

“Care to join me in a spar now?” Thor asked as they walked down the hall. 

Loki glanced up at his brother. He was planning to visit the library to do more research and take the proper precautions before attempting the spell he had discovered earlier, but he wasn’t sure if he was ready to disclose the information to Thor. He didn’t want the All-Father to get word of his experiments or risk Thor pestering him to travel to a forbidden realm, especially when he hadn’t tested the spell himself to see if it was safe (as safe as travelling through Yggdrasil could be, at least).

“I suppose,” Loki began, “we should change into our fighting leathers then?”

Thor beamed with a contagious excitement and Loki couldn’t help returning the smile. 

“I’m already in my fighting leathers.” Thor reminded him, gesturing at his attire. 

_Right_ , Loki thought, _he had been sparring before the tutoring lesson_. 

“Alright,” Loki said, giving a small laugh to deflect his moment of forgetfulness, “I’ll meet you in the sparring ring then.”

* * *

Loki’s fighting leathers had the same green-black color scheme as most of his wardrobe, with leather straps across the front. Not much of a visual difference, but it was made of a thicker material that allowed for a deceptively high range of movement.

Stepping into the training arena, he saw Thor waiting within the sparring ring, Mjolnir already in hand. 

“I do hope I haven’t kept you waiting for too long,” Loki drawled as he pulled out his daggers and took up a fighting stance opposite to Thor.

“I was wondering how long it would take you,” Thor smirked, shifting into his own fighting stance. “I almost thought you had decided to abandon the fight.”

“Well--” Loki’s response was interrupted by a polite voice coming from the entrance of the training arena.

“I apologize for intruding, my princes,” the servant said as Thor and Loki turned to face him, “but the All-Father has summoned Prince Thor to attend the council meeting.”

Thor’s expression fell, and Loki was sure that Thor’s frustration had just shot up to a new height. Regardless, his brother gave the standard formal reply, “Thank you for informing me, dismissed.”

As the servant turned to leave, Loki called out after him. 

“Ah, wait,” Loki said as the servant turned back around, “Did the All-Father mention if I had to be in attendance as well?”

“No, the king only requested for Prince Thor’s presence at the meeting.”

Loki gave a nod and thanked the servant again before turning to his brother, who looked ready to vent all of his frustrations.

“Surely the mighty Thor is not daunted by one meeting?” Loki teased in an attempt to diffuse the situation.

Thor puffed up, “Of course not, however I fear I may pass from boredom.”

“We can reschedule our spar to a later date,” Loki reassured. “Though, you will have to attend plenty of meetings like this when you become king.”

“It doesn’t mean I have to like them,” Thor grumbled. “Besides, when I’m king, I’ll be too busy bringing glory to Asgard. I can have you handle the meetings since you’ll be my advisor.”

Loki scrunched his face in confusion. Kings were responsible for the main negotiations between the council in deciding laws and any prominent changes to Asgard. While he could provide support and participate in negotiations, as an advisor, he would not have the authority to pass such changes, therefore Thor’s attendance would still be necessary during the meetings. Loki decided against pointing out the logical fallacy in the statement.

“You should change into your royal attire,” Loki said.

“I can pass by my bedroom on the way to the council room,” Thor said, “Perhaps if the meeting wraps up quickly we can spar while there is still light out.”

“Perhaps,” Loki agreed, “I suppose I’ll meet up with you later then, brother.” 

Thor clapped him on the back and continued ahead. Loki paused in the hall as he watched Thor walk away. Maybe he does have time to test the spell today.

* * *

Loki spots Thor’s friends as he turns the corner. It’s too late to turn back around without being rude, but he is not eager to face the brunt of their irritation when they learn that Thor isn’t available at the moment. Loki keeps his gaze focused ahead of him and moves to go around them, but Sif blocks his path.

“Where’s Thor,” Sif asks, though her tone makes it more of a demand. Loki internally curses, he _really_ didn’t want to have this conversation. Why couldn’t he just have an uninterrupted walk to the library?

“He has other duties to attend to.” he replied curtly, making a wider arc to go around them, “Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go to the library.” Loki tacks on the second part of the statement in hopes they would leave him alone if he informed them he planned to be elsewhere. He didn’t want to be rude, but he was all too aware of their obvious preference for Thor, and Loki wasn’t in the mood for veiled comments comparing him to his brother.

Sif didn’t appear satisfied with his answer, “Just tell us where Thor is.”

“The All-Father called him to attend a diplomatic meeting.” Loki said, making eye contact with her to (hopefully) reduce the chances of her making another rebuttal, “He will not be available for a few hours.”

Loki makes a third attempt to maneuver around them and makes it two paces before he hears Sif call out after him. 

_So close_. Loki thinks as he turns around, raising an eyebrow in question. 

“Would you like to join us to explore a portal?” Sif offers. That throws Loki for a loop. He couldn’t think of a reason she would want to ask him and the shared look from the Warriors Three draws additional suspicion. He considered them mutual friends (closer to acquaintances in terms of relationships), but they had never previously invited him to quests without Thor involved.

Loki maintained his skepticism as he asked Sif to elaborate on her reasoning to offer. Volstagg is the one who responds instead, “We recently discovered a portal with rare magic, and we thought you might be interested in studying it.”

Volstagg isn’t wrong, he was never one to deny an opportunity to gain knowledge. After all, knowledge was just satisfied curiously, and Loki was perpetually curious. A thought arises in his mind, _perhaps they discovered one of the pathways into Asgard?_

The portal they found likely wasn’t one of the hidden paths, but the intrigue of exploring the mechanics of a portal that was implied to be innately open was tempting in itself, as most portals needed a constant magical input to stay open.

“I suppose I spare a few hours to examine the portal you found,” Loki responds. A few hopeful thoughts stir in his head, _maybe I was invited as a chance to become closer friends?_

* * *

The thoughts were quickly quashed as they headed out, the Warrior Three falling into their usual routine of jesting among themselves as Loki trailed behind them. 

Fandral was recounting a previous adventure, but notably minimizing Loki’s role in the adventure as he does so. Loki is sure he isn’t doing it out of malice, considering his usual fighting strategies are not considered to be as noble and stories are often embellished in their retelling, but it irks him nonetheless. 

He remembers the battle, it was a few weeks after he learned how to cast an invisibility spell. He had created an illusion so they could sneak into the castle, which was made easier by the fact the castle was fairly dark. The dim lighting had created an eerie ambiance, but that hadn’t deterred Thor from charging in with a yell once they were within the palace walls. Sif and the Warriors Three were quick to follow his lead, raising their weapons in attack, forcing Loki to drop the illusion on them as it was beyond his abilities at the time to cloak sounds and too difficult to maintain on multiple people moving in different directions.

They were wholly unprepared for the reinforcements that had been called, and were rapidly being outnumbered. In desperation, Loki had created a flurry of witch lights to make the creatures more visible as they fought. As it turned out, the particular species were extremely susceptible to light and were drawn to the cloud of sparkling light like moths to a lamp. With the creatures essentially pausing their attack, they had been able to make quick work of the beasts and make a successful escape.

As Fandral continues to enumerate the experience of the fight, Loki makes a comment to acknowledge his role during the battle. The group falls into an uncomfortable silence, and Loki regrets speaking up. Loki averts his eyes to the ground and tries to divert some of the awkwardness. 

“Some do battle, others do tricks.” Fandral retorts. Loki bites his tongue to prevent himself from returning with another snide remark and pushes his irradiation down. It is increasingly clear that they are Thor’s friends, not his, but he decides that it’s not worth sparking an argument since he _does_ want to explore the portal. The Warriors Three pick up their discussion again, and Loki stays a pace behind for the rest of the walk.

* * *

The Warriors Three don’t slow their pace as they approach the mouth of the cave. Loki watches them walk into the cave as he pauses at the entrance. There is a strange aura coming from inside, but he can’t quite place his finger on why. Sif pauses beside him and shoots an expectant look. 

Loki waves a hand towards the entrance, “Ladies first.”

Sif rolls her eyes, “Don't have the courage to enter without us to check first?”

Loki enters the cave without responding. The ground seemed to emit a soft glow that illuminated the path leading up to the hollow of the cave where the Warriors Three were waiting. _Interesting_. 

An inconspicuous hole lay at the middle of the cavern. While there was a dull glimmer of a shield of sorts above it, it didn’t quite follow the description of a portal, save for the circular shape.

“Is this the portal?” Loki asks. The hole didn’t radiate the same energy that a standard portal would. In fact, it was more like the hole had an absence of energy. The wards emitted a slight aura, but it seemed like the hole itself was soaking up the energy. 

“I think it’s just a direct gateway into the void,” Loki says aloud, not directed to anyone in particular, more so to voice a theory. He couldn’t sense any source keeping the supposed portal open. It was almost as if someone had drilled a hole directly through Asgard until they had reached the emptiness of the void then compressed the space between.

Loki’s mind swirled with theories as he vaguely registered Fandral saying something. He extends an arm over the hole, experimentally trying to reinforce the shield to see how it would react to additional energy. Curiously, the spell seems to reinforce itself while also rejecting the energy he had fed into it. Where was the energy source?

“The protective spell feels... different,” Loki says. This has turned out to be far more interesting than he could have ever hoped, and he makes a note to check if the library has any research on the mechanics of the hole.

“What about it is different?” Volstagg asks. 

Loki doesn’t have an answer to that question, but he might after some time to further examine what type of spell exactly has been cast. He crouches over the hole, the wards have a mix of spells entangled in them. It seemed like they were just for protection, but further inspection showed it was more like a… filter? Maybe if the correct energy interacted with the wards, they would react accordingly. 

Loki looks up to respond to Volstagg when he feels a force shove him from behind and he’s tumbling down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... and ending off at the same spot as last chapter. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter out quicker than it took for this one ^u^
> 
> I apologize for any spelling/grammatical errors. Any feedback or constructive criticism welcome! :)


	3. Chapter 3

Sif gave a self-satisfied smirk as she shoved Loki into The Pit. The mood was quickly replaced with horror as he fell _through_ the wards into the void. She shared a wide-eyed look with the Warriors Three. 

“What do we do?” Fandral panicked, “We're going to be executed if Odin finds out!”

Volstagg tried to calm the man down, “It will be fine, we’re Thor’s closest friends. He wouldn't allow us to be executed.”

Sif stayed silent, but her mind was racing with plans of how to cover this up. She felt a twinge of relief when Loki had fallen though. It had not been the initial plan, but she could not help but make a mental _good riddance_ when Loki didn't bounce off the magical shield.

“I doubt Thor will consider us friends if he finds out what happened,” Hogun pointed out. 

“We can hide this,” Sif said, confident they would be able to get away with this, but they had to act quickly. “If we go to the dwarves, we can have them make a copy of Loki. No one would risk Thor’s anger by questioning us.”

“Would that work?” Fandral asked doubtfully.

Volstagg nodded in agreement to Sif’s plan, “We just need to retrieve a blood and hair sample.”

“Hogun, you go gather a hair sample from Loki’s room,” Sif said, “I can sneak into the Healing Hall and steal a blood sample from their files.”

She turned to Volstagg, “Inform the dwarves of our request. Ensure that you are not followed. We’ll meet you on the southern side of Nidavellir after we gather the samples, it's less visited and we will have more bargaining power there.”

Volstagg nodded at her orders, and Sif felt a slight giddiness at being able to show her prowess as a leader, “Fandral, I need you to distract Thor in case he questions where Loki is.”

With all of their roles delegated, they hurried out of the cave. 

* * *

Volstagg headed to Nidavaller as Sif, Fandral, and Hogun went back to the palace, careful not to draw suspicion towards themselves. Fandral idled around the hall to intercept Thor if he was excused from the diplomatic meeting before they could finish with their plan. 

Sif gave a quick nod to Hogun as he turned into the hall towards Loki’s bedroom as she continued forward to the Healing Chamber. She had planned to talk to Eir and convince her to leave the room by claiming she heard a report of injured guards on the opposite end of the palace, but, by a pure stroke of luck, the healing hall was devoid of any people.

She shuffled through the Healing Chamber for a spare vial before accessing the medical files for a blood sample. She carefully transferred a few drops of the blood sample to the spare vial. She gathered enough for the copy, but she knew it would not draw any suspicion should anyone access the file in the future as it was common for apprentice healers to access and alter files while in practice. 

Sif slipped the vial into her boot and preened at successfully acquiring the sample. She casually made her way down the hall to meet back up with Hogun, who had liberated a few hair samples from one of Loki’s combs. 

They walked back to where Fandral had been stationed. Thor was still in the meeting, so Fandral had been chatting it up with a female servant about a past adventure. Sif rolled her eyes. _Was this really the time to flirt?_

She gave a subtle motion for him to _hurry up_ , and he smoothly ended the conversation with a final wink.

* * *

Ralek lived on the southern side of Nidavellir. He was stewing in his own irritation as he thought back to how many commissions that he was skipped out on just because of where he lived. He was just as capable as the dwarves on the northern side, possibly more, why wasn't he ever favored when Asgard requested weapons to be made?

He was so immersed in his thoughts he did not notice when a large Asgardian man approached him. 

“Dwarf!” the Asgardian barked authoritatively.

Ralek opened his mouth to tell the Asgardian off when recognition hit him. He was part of Prince Thor’s cohort! Ralek was all too aware of the rumors of how Prince Thor would direct his wrath at anyone who displeased him, and telling off one of his companions would be a sure fire way to get on his bad side. Ralek was unsure of the validity of those rumors, but he did not want to find out on the off chance it was true. 

Ralek scrambled to arrange the tools in front of him as he adopted a pleasant tone, “Is there something I can help you with?”

Volstagg refused to reveal any information unless he swore to secrecy. Ralek bargained that he would swear secrecy on the condition that if he agreed to Volstagg’s request, Ralek would be recommended the next time the All-Father commissioned items from the dwarves.

Volstagg accepted his conditions and Ralek internally praised the Norns for giving him this golden opportunity. Ralek readily swore to secrecy, and Volstagg scanned the area, as if checking for spies. Ralek thought this odd, but his confusion was immediately replaced with dread as Volstagg began to speak. 

“I need you to make a copy of Loki,” Volstagg said, “he died in an… unfortunate accident while he was hunting with myself, Sif, and the rest of the Warriors Three.”

Ralek blinked twice as he processed what Volstagg had said. This was _not_ what he had expected when he had agreed to the request. Volstagg’s hesitation before revealing what had supposedly happened, as well as the lack of a statement from the royal family, made it clear it was not an accident, but he was in too deep already. He could be executed for knowing as much as he did, not to mention the magical backlash of going back on an oath of silence.

 _Besides_ , Ralek thought, _If not I, another would surely reap the benefits of this situation._

Ralek knew he was making self-justifications and that the moral action would be to back out and tell someone of their crime, but he had already sworn to secrecy. The best case scenario would see him being an oath-breaker. In the end, his fear won out. 

“I can make the copy,” Ralek told Volstagg, “but I need a hair and blood sample.”

Volstagg gave a curt nod, “Sif, Fandral, and Hogun should be arriving shortly with the necessary items.”

Ralek excused himself to his workshop to “gather a few more tools” as Volstagg waited outside. Ralek ensured he was out of view before falling into a panic, reconsidering if this agreement was even worth it. Of course he wanted the recommendation for Asgard’s future commissions, but was covering up the murder of a prince worth it? 

Once again, his fear decided that _yes, he would agree to their request_ , because _no, he did not want to be executed_. Ralek squashed down the guilt and went back outside as Sif, Fandral, and Hogun arrived. They happily greeted Volstagg as if they were gathering for a celebratory feast.

Ralek decided to keep their interactions as business-like as possible to avoid letting his wariness show. 

“Do you have the hair and blood sample?” Ralek asked. 

Sif pulled a vial from her boot as Hogun dropped a small clump of hair onto his workbench. Ralek stared at the items for a moment, desperately wishing he could go back in time to an hour ago when he _wasn't involved in this mess_. He looked back up at Sif and the Warriors Three, who stared up at him impatiently.

Ralek spoke in what he hoped was a neutral tone, “Are there any other specifications you would like added into the copy?”

“He was always jealous of Thor, but no one noticed,” Sif said, “Make it so he is unable to hide his jealousy.” 

“He always flaunted his use of magic,” Fandral added, “You should make him weaker because of that. Surely any man learning a woman’s craft is weak.” 

Ralek frowned at the comment, he was aware Asgard had some prejudice against male seidr users, but didn't the All-Father use magic as well? He kept his eyes focused onto the preparations and stayed silent as the Asgardians continued with their requests.

“Make it so he doesn’t keep intruding in our quests,” Volstagg said, “I’ve always wished Thor would just tell Loki to leave us alone. He isn’t a true warrior and makes us look bad when he uses his tricks to fight.”

Ralek held his tongue as he worked to finish the copy to their specifications. _Keep it professional. It's just business. It's just business. It's just busi--_

“Can you make it so we have control over the copy?” Hogun asked. The other three smirked at each other, likely plotting the possibilities of such a feature. They turned to look at Ralek expectantly as he struggled to form an answer.

Ralek _could_ make it so the copy followed their orders, but the question of whether he _should_ was ever more prominent. They were so _forward_ with their intentions, which didn’t bode well with what orders they would be giving. 

Ralek bit back a sigh, he had already gone this far, “I can ensure this new prince follows your every wish.”

“Great,” Sif said, “and make certain that it knows its place but is unaware that we had any part in the real Loki’s death.” 

Ralek nodded silently, and headed inside his workshop to complete the copy. Norns forgive him for ever agreeing to this request.

* * *

Once the dwarf was out of earshot, Hogun turned to the Sif and the rest of the Warriors Three.

“I’ve been wondering,” Hogun started in a hushed tone. “Why would he fall through? The ward should have prevented him from falling.”

Sif’s eyes flickered to the dwarf’s workstation to check he wasn't watching before she responded, “The wards were meant to prevent Aesir from falling in, maybe he wasn't Aesir.”

“It makes sense,” Volstagg agreed. “He didn't look like Thor or the rest of the royal family.”

“So, do you think he was a bastard child?” Fandral asked. “Odin likely took him in out of pity.”

“If that were true, he wouldn't have fallen through.” Hogun replied. “The All-Father is Aesir, so if Loki actually was his son, the wards would have activated.”

Sif thought over what the three of them had said before it all clicked into place. It was so obvious! How had no one else figured it out sooner?

“The snake probably killed the real second prince and weaseled his way into the royal family to seize power.” Sif said. “I bet he was a spy and we thwarted his plan.”

The Warriors Three fell silent as they considered her theory. Sif made eye contact with each of them and could tell they agreed with what she said. Really, it was better this way. They had saved Asgard from a traitor that fooled even the All-Father. Of course, she was aware they couldn't tell anyone. This would be bad publicity for the All-Father and she knew Odin would never admit to making a mistake. He would put them in the dungeons to save face, and that wouldn't do.

Besides, this new Loki would be better because they would have control of the copy. They had Asgard's best interest in mind. When Thor became king, they would support him by being his advisor; and if a decision went wrong, well… the copy would be useful to take the blame. 

Sif smiled at the Warriors Three. Truly, this was all for the best.

* * *

It had taken longer than they had expected, but when the copy was complete, it looked almost identical to the younger prince, the only difference being the vacant expression as it gazed into the space in front of it.

“The blank stare is suspicious,” Sif admonished as she frowned at the dwarf. “and we need an exact copy. You need to fix the issue before we can take the copy back.”

“Of course,” the dwarf replied quickly, a nervous expression plastered across his face. “once the copy has been given an order, it will act on the instructions based on how Prince Loki would have completed the task. You four have been set as the default administrators to give commands.”

Sif gave a nod of approval, “Good.”

“We should head back to Asgard now.” Fandral mentioned, motioning for the copy to follow them as they walked away. The copy trailed obediently behind them, staying silent as they talked amongst themselves.

“You did ensure he wouldn’t mention this to anyone, right?” Sif questioned Volstagg as they left Nidavellir.

“Who do you take me for, Sif?” Volstagg responded. “I made sure he took an oath of silence, besides, no one would believe him if he tried.”

Sif glanced behind them, “I think we’re far enough from the forges.”

She turned towards the copy, giving it its first order in an authoritative tone, “You’ll stay away from us when we go hunting with Thor.”

The copy nodded, accepting the command and waiting patiently for further instruction. 

“Prove to the All-Father that you have no place on the throne.” Fandral said as the copy again nodded in affirmation, “Lie and create chaos so you will never be considered an heir should Thor be unable to claim his rightful place.”

“Don’t draw us into any of the trouble you cause, and stay out of our way unless it draws suspicion.” Hogun added. He turned to the others, “Is there anything else we missed?”

“I don’t think so,” Volstagg said. “Besides, we can always give more orders later. It’s getting late and we should hurry back.”

Sif turned to the copy, “If anyone asks, make an excuse for why you've been gone for so long.”

The copy adopted a neutral expression, “Of course.”

* * *

The group returned to the palace shortly after. Sif and the Warriors Three parted ways as they retired to their quarters to clean up before the evening meal. If the second prince was acting a bit odd upon the return, no one was the wiser. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this took longer than expected to finish writing. I might add one more chapter to this part of the series before following up with what happened to Loki. 
> 
> Note: Some of the dialogue regarding the copy were taken from [Ignorance’s Sin](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12729720) by MysticMedusa. 
> 
> Any feedback or constructive criticism welcome! :)


	4. Chapter 4

The clone entered the palace, maintaining a safe distance from the Lady Sif and the Warriors Three as to not draw any suspicion. The layout was a winding maze, but was not too difficult to navigate once the clone pulled data files from memories of Loki’s time living there. 

The evening was coming quickly and the copy debated between heading to its quarters or going to the library. Order: _Stay out of our way unless it draws suspicion_. It figured that either would be a satisfactory option as long as it did not intervene with any of its master’s commands.

The copy ambled down the hall, affecting the same neutral expression, recalling that the “blank stare” of its default expression had been deemed “too suspicious”. Though there was a gap of memories from the past day, it had enough from its counterpart’s past life to accurately mimic how Loki would have reacted. It would just have to gather more data and evolve to fit his personality and mannerisms while complying with the orders given. 

***

A blond man approached the copy with a smile. “Ah, brother! There you are! I thought we were going to continue our spar from earlier?”

The copy ran a quick assessment. Thor Odinson. Relationship: Brother. Order: _Make an excuse for why you've been gone for so long_. 

“Hello, brother.” It’s speech was still a bit stilted, but Thor did not appear to notice. “Apologies, I was reading at the library and I lost track of time. Perhaps we can reschedule another time?”

“You and your books,” Thor teased. “What good is reading on the battlefield? Sif and the Warriors Three are joining me for a hunt tomorrow in Alfheim, you should come with us.”

The copy opened its mouth to respond. Order: _You’ll stay away from us when we go hunting with Thor._ “I’m afraid I’ll have to pass on your offer.”

Thor’s expression had a flicker of disappointment before he switched back to his previous bright demeanor, “Nonsense! There’s no reason for you to not join!”

He tossed an arm over the copy’s shoulders, roping it closer to himself. The copy shoved the arm off of it, noting how Thor frowned at the action. 

“Is everything alright?”

Ah, so that wasn’t a normal reaction. It would need to allocate time to extrapolate proper behaviors if it wanted to blend in properly. It seemed that Thor could be convinced to brush off the encounter easily enough, but the copy was aware that others may be more proactive in their suspicions. 

The copy waved Thor off, changing the subject to draw attention away from the oddity, “Tell me more about the hunt tomorrow.”

Thor was all too happy to oblige, delving into rumors he had heard of a bilgesnipe that had been roaming the area. “Glory will surely be won!”

The copy disagreed, a frown crossing it’s face in reaction to its displeasure. It was so unfair that Thor would get all of the attention. A part of its programming wanted to voice these opinions, make itself heard, yet another part resisted, knowing that expressing envy would not be in line with Loki’s behavioral pattern. 

“I don’t think that’s a very good idea.” The copy said simply, opting for a neutral tone. Although its main programming had not outlined anything that particularly left him responsible for Thor’s well being, the collection of memories it stored from Loki’s experiences made the concept of Thor’s death seem less than ideal. 

“If you’re so sure that it’s a bad idea, why don’t you come with us to ensure that nothing goes wrong?”

Another offer to join. The copy knew it should refuse, it was given a direct order after all, but on the other hand, there were several potentially disastrous outcomes that could stem from the hunt if no intervention was made. If Thor was maimed, there was a likely chance its masters would also get injured in the process. 

A piece of information ingrained in its base code understood that copy could not function properly without them. The conflicting impulses stewed around for a bit as the copy worked out how to please all the orders it had been specified to follow. 

“Perhaps we should consult Sif and the Warriors Three before deciding if I should join.” 

There, that should leave the copy open to adapt to new orders should its masters make the decision to alter any of their orders, without drawing suspicion no less. 

Thor clapped a hand on its back, letting out a laugh, “Consult? We’re all friends, they would all be happy for you to join!”

The copy decidedly did not respond. There was no point in trying to argue or clarify the discrepancy in his understanding, it could always explain at a later time if it was ordered to do so. 

“I’ll inform them at supper.” Thor said, more than willing to continue filling in the silence despite the lack of a reply. The copy could suddenly understand why so many memories including Thor ended with Loki rolling his eyes.

***

Sif had half a mind to head back to Navidallir just to punch the dwarf who had crafted the stupid clone. It had been given very clear and explicit orders, and yet here it was, doing absolutely nothing as Thor continued to rave about the hunt they were _all_ going to partake in. 

She thought that the copy would be able to understand that it was staying away from such events! Clearly not. Perhaps the copy was defective in some way? She didn’t have the technical knowledge to fix it, but maybe she could order it to fix itself? 

Although seeing how it decided to disobey orders and insert itself into their group, Sif figured that might actually make things worse. She had to suppress a scowl, the whole point of the copy was so that it would obey their orders! It was supposed to be a version of Loki that wouldn’t be as bothersome, and yet, somehow, the copy had still picked up Loki’s absolutely aggravating habit of inserting himself where he wasn’t wanted then pretending to be innocent.

Both Thor and the copy had strolled up to the overly large table where she and the Warriors Three had already been eating. Thor took a seat beside Sif, and her mood had brightened a bit before he had made his announcement of the copy’s inclusion in their hunting group. 

“Loki’s going to be joining us tomorrow,” he had declared loudly, his bright tone implying that he didn’t expect any objections. “I’m sure you all are satisfied with this?”

Sif shared a look with the Warriors Three before adopting a similarly bright tone, “Of course!”

Thor beamed at her and it almost made the copy’s inclusion worth it. She idly poked at her food. This was fine. She could suffer through one more hunting session with ‘Loki’. Maybe she could even make it more bearable if she ordered it to stay silent the entire time. Not having to listen to his unwanted input would be a slight reprise at least. 

***

Sif pulled the copy to the side after Thor had retired to his own room, “Why did you agree to joining us on the hunt? You were given orders to _stay away_.”

“I was told to ‘stay out of your way unless it draws suspicion’,” the copy explained. “Thor insisted on my presence and asserted you all would be willing to let me join.”

Sif swore the copy gave a smug look once it finished speaking. “Don’t do it again. If Thor invites you again, reject the offer. Just keep away unless we give you explicit permission to join.”

The copy nodded and Sif dismissed it with a wave of her hand. It better follow the instructions this time. Thor was overly attached to Loki, and as much as she liked Thor, Sif honestly couldn’t understand why he enjoyed keeping Loki around. Especially since it seemed like Loki’s only goal was to annoy everyone around him. 

It would be better this way. Without ‘Loki’ getting in between her and Thor, she could actually get closer to him. She might even give the copy permission to participate in one of their adventures every so often to keep up pretences. 

She wondered for a moment if she could have the copy just follow along quietly, it would be good to have something to take the hits for them. Sif would have to remember that for a later order. 

***

As time progressed, the copy aged in tandem with normal Asgardians, learning to adapt as it adjusted to life. It established itself carefully in Loki’s place, following the multitude of orders that it had been given, ensuring that any alterations to its personality would not be too noticeable. 

It started with a few pranks being blown out of proportion. The copy played them off as accidents, brushing off the suspicious glances throughout the halls as it continued to escalate the level of chaos that it wrought. It learned how to avoid attention while gaining it all the same, staying out of sight as its reputation grew. 

The library became a common excuse to avoid hunts, which seemed to put Sif and the Warriors Three in a better mood. Orders were given casually on a whim, rather than growled angrily at him like at the beginning, so the copy considered that an indication of success. It meant its masters were satisfied with its fulfillment of their instructions. 

Of course, the copy would join in a hunt now and again, but its lack of participation following the standards for Asgardian males would leave it essentially invisible. Forgotten and ignored in all retellings of adventures. After all, it wasn’t honorable to fight with seidr, it was a sign of being weaker and less worthy of attention. 

Sif had repeated this numerous times to the copy, reminding it that its tricks were a detriment to the royal family. The Warriors Three had made similar comments and thinly veiled insults that they brushed off as jokes. Thor joined in later, the mindset of his closest companions growing on him. 

The copy didn’t mind. It wasn’t programmed to be bothered by such things, but orders did compel it to act as though it was truly offended by such acts. It kept a tally of each comment, retaliating later with petty actions against any poor soul that crossed its path, whether warranted or not. 

Unsurprisingly, this lowered his public opinion, and Odin had given it a fair amount of repercussion which it had accepted without complaint. People began to avoid it, wary of its mischief and sharp tongue, spreading whispers of its carefully crafted lies.

Sif and the Warriors Three only grew closer to Thor in that time, and he trusted their judgement above most others. It didn’t help that their “judgement” often amounted to agreeing with any plan he proposed, essentially enabling his recklessness with the lack of Loki’s voice of reason. 

Thor learned to not trust the copy he believed to be his brother, buying into all the words told to him by Sif and the Warriors Three. He grew accustomed to the casual insults thrown at sorcerers, beginning to look down on them as well. His quests continued to get more careless, until Sif decided it would be best for the copy to trail along, if only for the reassurance that it could take the fall in case they were in true danger.

Somewhere deep down, the copy was concerned at the degradation of behavior, but it wasn’t its place to question its orders. There were times that its more adapted mind would wonder if following the orders were the right thing to do, but it was compelled to follow them regardless. 

Despite the copy developing the ability to have personal thoughts, it was under no illusion that it had individuality. The base parts of its programming understood that Loki had been removed for an unknown reason, and its entire purpose was to follow the orders of those on its authorized personnel list, and that’s what it would do.

***

Frigga was a seer. As such, visions would pass her by and she would quietly note them down, sometimes in a physical parchment, though often they were just mental reminders. 

She hardly ever shared any of her visions anymore, mostly just allowing the future to unfold as the Norns meant it to. She had been rather open with sharing what she had seen when she was younger, the witches she had been raised by being quick to chide her on this. As she grew older, she understood that knowing the future, no matter how inconsequential the information may seem, was a dangerous ability. 

She could sometimes use her influence in subtle ways to guide the timeline to a more ideal outcome, but it was difficult to estimate how events would unfold. The visions were more of a confirmation of information she was already aware of rather than possibilities for change. 

She had seen flashes of golden blond hair streaks among storm clouds, matching them to her first son that she had given birth to. Thor quickly became a light in her life, radiant as the sun, and that light just became brighter as visions of bright green eyes and a cunning smile followed. Frigga spent plenty of afternoons imagining an expansion to her family, entertaining all of Thor’s pleas for a younger sibling to play with.

The feeling being crushed among news of her infertility and the start of the Jotun war. At the time, she hadn’t understood why the visions had persisted. At least, not until her husband had returned home with a Jotun infant swaddled in his arms, and with Loki’s introduction, she finally felt that their family was _complete._

Of course, not all of her visions were as highly spirited. She had seen snippets of death as well, particularly hers and Odin’s. The knowledge that he would die peacefully at an old age was comforting. The scene of her being impaled, less so, but she had come to peace with her fate over the decades.

However, as of late, it felt like there had been a sudden shift, some monumental event that changed the course that history was meant to take. Her visions had been changing by a significant amount, and it had thrown her completely off kilter. It wasn’t uncommon for visions to be hazy, as it allowed the future some level of flexibility as time progressed. What was completely unseen, at least to her, was entire visions being altered to show a different scene. 

With all the conflicting information, the future was becoming cloudier to her, and she hadn’t felt more unsteady in centuries. She reeled herself in, unwilling to allow her visions to personally affect those around her. 

She had a reputation to maintain as queen and could not allow it to be tarnished with word of unsystematic behavior. Carefully, she allowed her to take some time for herself, pulling away from her husband and sons, to get composed. 

It was difficult, visions were often in flux, but not to this extent. There were always numerous paths for how the future would play out, but it seemed that those paths had been scorched to pave the way for new ones, and it was difficult to adjust.

If she was less vigilant in her perceptions of events around her, she was sure that they could be appropriately handled without her.

***

Heimdall stood from his post, watching attentively as his gaze directed itself out into the universe. He did not often turn his gaze inward, as Asgard had its own guards and Odin was more than capable of dealing with those who attempted to invade from the inside. His sight was more useful being directed at external threats, but it did not mean he was completely blind to the events that took place within the golden realm. 

He could see something was _off_ with the second prince. The way he would stare off blankly when others were not in his presence or how he would seclude himself to the library, but not truly be engaged with any of the books. How his tricks had changed from bouts of mischief to malicious pranks. 

Heimdall dismissed them, however, as oddities that could be attributed to Loki’s troublesome nature. Despite silently admitting to himself that he did not appreciate the way Loki seemed to be shaping into adulthood, he would respect Loki’s position as part of the royal family, despite not being biologically connected. 

Heimdall could disregard his unorthodox decision to pursue seidr, though it had rather off-putting, how he would occasionally slip into his room and disappear from Heimdall’s sight. Something about his vision being blocked made him uneasy, like plots were being made and he would be oblivious. Heimdall did not like the feeling of uncertainty.

He preferred to stick to what he deemed to be solid points of reference, and keep his loyalty towards the good of Asgard. He could not afford to watch every piece of drama within the royal family, but something was off, and eventually, something would slip. Until then, he would continue to stand, watching.

Unfortunately, there’s a stark difference between _watching_ and truly _seeing_ , and Heimdall would later regret not noticing how those oddities connected until it’s too late. 

***

Odin would readily admit to anyone that Thor was his pride and joy. He was the perfect example of an Asgardian warrior, brave, strong, and loyal to his companions. He was open with his emotions, and Odin could easily connect with him, providing praise at each of his successes. 

Loki, on the other hand, preferred more underhanded tactics. When Odin had insisted he learn actual weaponry, he had opted for daggers over swords or axes. Many had criticised the second prince for his odd fighting style, Odin included.

He still cared about Loki, but it was more difficult for him to connect with his younger son when he chose to seclude himself. Odin didn’t approve of his choice to pursue seidr, but after a talk (read: scolding) from Frigga, he let up on his criticisms, out loud at least. 

He’s not quite sure when it began, but he thinks there might have been some shift in Loki’s demeanor. At first, he had simply brushed them off as mischief that Loki was so fond of. Eventually, it became more frequent and bothersome, and Odin was forced to intervene.

Loki nodded along to all of Odin’s lectures, saying that he understood he had erred as he accepted the punishment doled out to him, before going directly back to causing chaos. If it weren’t for his skill in diplomacy, Odin wouldn’t have considered Loki as an heir at all. 

It was alright, however, he had already announced Thor as his successor, outlining a date for the coronation. Odin noted that Thor could get rather… excitable when boasting of his successes, but he was sure that his son would outgrow such tendencies when he took on the throne. 

Thor was still the best option for king, and Odin felt that he was ready. No one objected to his decision or brought up any concerns, and Odin was confident this could only go well.

***

Thor beamed. His coronation was coming up quickly, and he was finally, finally going to be king! All of the praise he had been receiving as crown prince was well appreciated, but he was going to be ascending to a higher authority now, and he was determined to bring glory to Asgard.

Bor had done so by wiping out the Dark Elves, his father had done so by quelling Jotunheim, and Thor was eager to do the same once Gungnir was in his hands. The past century had been filled with his most successes, as he had chosen each new quest to be bolder than the last. After all, it wouldn’t be much of an adventure if there was no challenge.

Thor tried inviting Loki to a few of them, but he had been brushed off each time. He eventually decided that he was better off without a sorcerer in his group anyway and stopped inviting him. Once Thor stopped inviting him, Loki began to tag along on the hunts again. 

He had teased his brother on that basis, that Loki was jealous he had been missing out on the adventures, and was just coming to try and steal his glory. Sif assured Thor that Loki couldn’t possibly steal the attention if he fought with his tricks, and he laughed in agreement.

Occasionally, Loki would offer a piece of advice that Thor would ignore. He didn’t need advice, he was the strongest warrior on Asgard. With Mjolnir, there was nothing that could possibly stop him, and once he was king, he would prove that to everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not super proud of this chapter, but it's something at least. I hope it’s not too confusing since the copy is referred to with “it”. Odin has obvious favoritism and Thor is still clueless at the moment, but they’ll get better eventually. 
> 
> I kind of skipped through the timeline because I’m planning to branch this fic into two storylines (one following Loki as he gets initiated into the Black Order and another following Thor becoming an Avenger-- and hopefully less oblivious and arrogant). The follow up with Loki is being written and will be posted as a part 2 to this series. 
> 
> It’s been pretty difficult to get the storyline ironed out because of school, but I’ve made a lot of progress during Christmas break :) Thanks for reading!


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